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The Goddamn Gallows + Scott H. Biram

The Goddamn Gallows + Scott H. Biram

The Goddamn Gallows came from the heart of America's Rust Belt, arising from a night of flophouse violence. Drifting across the states, they cemented their sound in Portland, OR and later in Los Angeles, CA, where they lived in abandoned buildings, squatter camps, storage units and shoebox apartments.

In 2007, they left everything behind and spent the next 4 years living out of whatever vehicle would get them to the next town. Building upon their original sound of "twanged-out, punk rock gutterbilly"(Life of Sin 2004 and Gutterbillyblues 2007), they began picking up stray musicians along the way and adding to their sound; washboard, accordion, mandolin and banjo (Ghost of th' Rails 2009 and 7 Devils 2011) creating a sound referred to as "hobocore", "gypsy-punk" or "americana-punk", while never being stuck in any one sound.

The Goddamn Gallows continue to rapidly grow a devoted following with their volatile and spectacular live shows; a contagious, spontaneous eruption of unpredictability. Something heavy is happening to Scott H. Biram. There he is, eyes rolling back in his head, arms outstretched, consumed with bliss, exhaustion, or guilt, being consigned to the old crimson river. In this moment, being baptized in blood might be Biram's dark epiphany, the 12 songs of Nothin' But Blood a conduit for an emotional fight or flight, relaying a deep personal grapple between the pure and the impure, good and bad, the beautiful dream and an ugly reality.

What in the past has been expressed through reeling irreverence and spirit-lifting profanity (which he's still got in spades; don't worry) is here a more penetrating, and chilling, version of The Dirty Old One Man Band-- self-examining and penitent, yet still as crazy as a jack-eyed preacher. On his ninth album (and fifth for Bloodshot Records) 'blood' is many, often inherently contradictory, themes: life, death, suffering, evil, commitment, legacy, atonement. Even in its title, 'Nothin' But' could mean 'all encompassing' or 'it's no big deal.' Literally, all or nothing.

There are songs where Biram -- the hard-living, whiskey-loving lifelong Texan -- howls of mortality ('When I Die'), sin ('Backdoor Man'), and guilt and frustration ('Slow & Easy'), all the while struggling with which side he'll end up on (and it probably ain't the one with golden halos and white wings). He deftly sews together a myriad of flawed everymancharacters: nostalgic, stoned veteran ('Nam Weed'); boozing, jealous lover ('Alcohol Blues'); and sadistic muses ('Church Point Girls').

The rousing Black Flag-meets-Son House boot-stomper 'Only Whiskey' punches a hole in the notion of temperance and rewrites the meaning of monogamy -- the story of a man so disillusioned with romance he reserves vice as his permanent bed partner. In 'Gotta Get to Heaven', fervent 'hallelujahs' allude to a youthful and impious Biram, who quit churchat 10 years-old but also found his life's calling when an African-American Baptist choir performed for his grade school.

Throughout Nothin' But Blood, recorded at Biram's home studio and Cacophony Studios in Austin, TX, SHB's distinct songwriting style encompasses his penchant for sludge metal and palm muting ('Around the Bend'), the raw sucker punch of punk rock ('Only Whiskey'), profound truths of sentimental acoustic blues and country ('Never Comin' Home'), the cleansing powers of gospel hymns and spiritual ballads ('When I Die'), and folk tales from the early 20th century (there has never been a more beautifully creepy and morosely slinky take on 'Jack of Diamonds').

When you boil it all down in a simmering cauldron, Nothin' But Blood is storytelling about wrongdoing and redemption. Scott H. Biram's music is from the soul, for the soul, of the soul -- and with this album, the spiritual buckshot lodges deeper than ever. Mix one part Texas fiddle and one part Tennessee banjo, add doghouse bass and a splash of guitar and you have a delicious cocktail for your ears known as the Urban Pioneers. This string band hammers out a variety of original songs that encompass old time hillbilly music, western swing, rockabilly, and even a few gypsy type songs for good measure. The band stays on the road constantly all over the world playing anywhere from large festivals to backyard parties, from quaint listening rooms to goat farms, and from divey punk bars to corn roasts.

Liz and Jared met in 2011 as backing members for a handful of prominent underground roots artists. When the timing was right they decided to form their own band and do things their way. Since 2014 the Urban Pioneers have released five full length recordings and have criss crossed the globe countless times. From the spring through the fall the trio spends a large majority of their time on the road. When the weather turns cold they spend their winters on their Texas ranch trapping feral hogs and writing new material.

When listening to the Urban Pioneers it’s hard not to feel like your hanging out on a big wrap around porch jamming out with some extremely talented musicians.-ILoveKCMusic.com

“Hillbilly Swing Music is true to the title, filled with fun ditties and infectious reels that reawaken the simple joy of primitive American string music in a way that is invigorating and fun, yet still enriching with intelligent turns and deceptively-smart songwriting. Their fourth overall record...really is a step up in quality across the board from the trio, from the songwriting, to the production, to simply the audio grade of the recordings. It’s probably worthy of naming as their best record yet. A former classically trained violinist and an enlisted man in the Navy take time from trapping feral hogs on their property in North Texas to play a few songs for you to help spin the troubles away. This is what old time primitive country is all about.”-SavingCountryMusic.com

"Man oh man. I went to a "Night of Bluegrass" in Abilene last night to hear a local bluegrass band that features one of my buddies on mandolin . . . I was not prepared for the sonic assault I received when the final band, The Urban Pioneers took the stage. I'd like to write a review on this 3-piece band, but just had to post here about the fiddle player, Liz Sloan. This lady is a true fiddle virtuoso who must be seen live - incredible. The act itself is great, the band gels well and they are showmen, showcasing Jared McGovern's songwriting and Liz's violin/fiddle virtuosity."-Mark Gunter

"Check em out, damn good band."-Wayne Hancock Viva Le Vox is an experimental punk rock roots band from Lake Worth, Florida. The influences are diverse, though the most predominant are early 20th century jazz, 1950s Rock-n-Roll, and 1970s punk rock. The music has been described as a mix between Gogol Bordello and Tom Waits, or Django Reinhardt meets The Clash- either way a gypsy jazz punk rock-n-roll stew no matter which part of the last century you're familiar with.

After spending the better part of his early twenties in and out of psychiatric units and rehabs, singer/songwriter/guitarist Tony Bones found himself somewhere in Delray Beach, Florida, and began to play his songs solo. He soon found a band grew up around him, and the outfit started gaining interest from their now infamous shows at their local 24-hour laundromat, and their guerilla infiltration of open mic nights. Since then, with the tremendous help and support of friends and fans, past and present members, and a whole lotta elbow grease, Viva Le Vox has been able to tour extensively, and independently release 3 albums to date: Desperation Alley (2009), Wayward Ones (2010), and Dirt For Sale (2012).

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